Quirk

[furyus]

1982 Huffy Pro Thunder Max. We’re both too old to huck around much, but we’ll be right at home on a paved path, boardwalk or in the pits. No fabrication, just attention to detail and parts that compliment each other. And shiny for a change.

furyus

 

[kingfish254]

Sounds like it will sorta be a cool bmx/minivelo hybrid. Great idea!

 

[Funkme]

It almost looks like a delivery bike frame, but straight bar... Interesting bones.

 

[Reallybigtim]

I was around in '82, but I don't remember that frame. Super tall BMX!

 

[OddJob]

That is one unique frame! Looking forward to your creative input; both literally, and literarily.


RaT oN~!

 

[furyus]

Just a little background. The Huffy Pro Thunder Max was a copy of the Mongoose MooseGoose, both very early 80’s creations. The idea never really caught on, a nearly forgotten “quirk“ in the early history of BMX. I love 20” bikes, but they’re frankly pretty hard to ride as an adult. I saw this bike on eBay and was intrigued. It came to me as pictured above. I slapped some pedals on it and took a spin around the neighborhood. The geometry is actually quite comfortable, though the supplied seat is perhaps the most tortuous I’ve ever sat on. This bike rides nice as a cruiser, though I can see why it never caught on in racing or free-style.

Here’s a few ”before” pics prior to dis-assembly. A mishmash of incorrect parts, lots of scratches and some rust. Despite all that, she’s in pretty good shape all things considered.

Most of this is going away. Loosening up the elbows now to get ready for polish mode.

furyus

 

[kingfish254]

I like that frame. Many of the folding bikes that I have had in the past have adult geometry, but use 20 or even 16" wheels. Once you adjust to the squirreliness of steering smaller wheels they are great nimble riders.

 

[furyus]

I like that frame. Many of the folding bikes that I have had in the past have adult geometry, but use 20 or even 16" wheels. Once you adjust to the squirreliness of steering smaller wheels they are great nimble riders.

Yeah, I wish I had discovered this geometry earlier. It’s the twenty I’ve been looking for without knowing it. Since I’ve ridden so many 20’s I’m used to the squirrel aspect and find this bike really stable. A few changes in where I’m sitting and what I’m holding should make it even better.

furyus

 

[furyus]

Still gathering up some bits. Guess I’m not in too big of a rush. Ran across another Pro Thunder Max and snagged it, mostly for the frame and fork, since they’re pretty rare.

Unfortunately, the seller didn’t pack it very well, and the fork dropouts got twisted and bent. Probably the most important part of the bike to me. The rest of the fork is OK, and I work with some incredibly talented fabricators, so if I can’t straighten the dropouts perhaps one of the guys will fab up,some new ones.

The bike came with a few nice OG parts, including this top tube pad that’s still readable. Betcha there aren’t many of these floating around.

The frame is straight, but someone removed the kickstand mount at some point. Don’t really care about the stand so much, but I’m sorry to lose the structural integrity the mount added as a chain stay bridge.

The bike has all its original decals, though there are a lot of scuffs and peeling.

Surprisingly, the smallest bits on the bike are what will probably make it onto my build. These safety locks are OG to the bike and specific to this fork. I imagine there are few left in existence.

The seller did give me a partial refund, and despite the disappointment with the damage, I’m still very happy to have found this bike. I figure it’ll get a place of honor on a wall somewhere until the day when it may be called back into service.

furyus

 

[RustySprockets]

Bummer about the damage, but I expect someone with the Park Tool FFG-2 could make short work of that repair.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

 

[furyus]

Bummer about the damage, but I expect someone with the Park Tool FFG-2 could make short work of that repair.

Great suggestion, but after reading up a bit I’m not sure even this cool tool can save this fork. Park states the tool won’t work for heavier, BMX style dropouts, and even though these aren’t as heavy as modern dropouts, they’re twisted badly. Especially the drive side dropout (on the right in the pic), it’s really distorted badly. These dropouts were not the sturdiest when new 40 years ago.

It might be worth a try if I can find someone with that tool, but at $100 plus, I’m not sure it’s worth adding to the toolbox. I could probably give that hundred to one of the guys I work with and get a custom set of dropouts installed. Fortunately, I purchasked this bike for spares; these forks can be stashed for the time being.

furyus

 

[furyus]

View attachment 157576

This is my current “holy grail” obsession. I had different holy grails a year ago, and three years ago, and seven years ago, ad nauseam. Now all that stuff that I chased down and thought I’d keep “forever” doesn’t even matter, and I can’t remember what they were. These bikes are very cool, but they don’t matter either, reference my signature.

furyus

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Sure. Everything is meaningless. Once a person realizes that, they begin to be free.

 

[Grant]

Just a little background. The Huffy Pro Thunder Max was a copy of the Mongoose MooseGoose, both very early 80’s creations. The idea never really caught on, a nearly forgotten “quirk“ in the early history of BMX. I love 20” bikes, but they’re frankly pretty hard to ride as an adult. I saw this bike on eBay and was intrigued. It came to me as pictured above. I slapped some pedals on it and took a spin around the neighborhood. The geometry is actually quite comfortable, though the supplied seat is perhaps the most tortuous I’ve ever sat on. This bike rides nice as a cruiser, though I can see why it never caught on in racing or free-style.

Here’s a few ”before” pics prior to dis-assembly. A mishmash of incorrect parts, lots of scratches and some rust. Despite all that, she’s in pretty good shape all things considered.

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Most of this is going away. Loosening up the elbows now to get ready for polish mode.

furyus

I really like those seats.

 

[ParkRNDL]

History nugget: I heard recently that the reason Razor scooters exist is somehow tied to the failure of this style of bike to catch on. Supposedly some company produced a bazillion head tubes and then stopped making the bikes, and the Razor scooter was created just to use up the long head tubes on something. Feel free to confirm or debunk.

Edit: correct details added below

 

[Grant]

History nugget: I heard recently that the reason Razor scooters exist is somehow tied to the failure of this style of bike to catch on. Supposedly some company produced a bazillion head tubes and then stopped making the bikes, and the Razor scooter was created just to use up the long head tubes on something. Feel free to confirm or debunk.

Mongoose made too many Moosegoose headtubes, which were T A L L and they made them into the Miniscoot BMX scooter.

 

[ParkRNDL]

Ahhhh, that's where I messed it up. It wasn't the Razor scooter, it was the Mongoose Miniscoot, which spawned a whole bunch of imitators. Skip to 1:30 in this video if you're interested.

 

[Frankie plekhand]

Great suggestion, but after reading up a bit I’m not sure even this cool tool can save this fork. Park states the tool won’t work for heavier, BMX style dropouts, and even though these aren’t as heavy as modern dropouts, they’re twisted badly. Especially the drive side dropout (on the right in the pic), it’s really distorted badly. These dropouts were not the sturdiest when new 40 years ago.

View attachment 157587

It might be worth a try if I can find someone with that tool, but at $100 plus, I’m not sure it’s worth adding to the toolbox. I could probably give that hundred to one of the guys I work with and get a custom set of dropouts installed. Fortunately, I purchasked this bike for spares; these forks can be stashed for the time being.

furyus

This is pretty easy to fix, even without the tool.
Just take 2 old axles and make your own alignment tool.
First bend it with plyers that it looks straight, then do some fine tuning using the axles to line them up properly just like you would use that overpriced piece of equipment.

 

[kingfish254]

It seems like it wouldn't be that hard to bend those drops back straight.
Any progress?